Sheet separating and feeding mechanisms



De 10, 1957 w. T. GoLLwrrzER 2,815,947

SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING MECHANISMS Original Filed Dec. 16. 1950 4Sheets-Sheet 1 l \J@\ mk. Av .m lfJ MWI k O EWM JWT|IEMIJHIMT HLWIHN.,f...... l J if: www f kmh. k www E .II Qb\ it.

Dec. l0, 1957 w. T. GoLLwrrzER 2,815,947

SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING MEcHANIsMs Original Filed Dec. 16. 1950 4Sheets-Sheet 2 De 10, 1957 w. T. GoLLwrrZER 2,815,947

SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING mcHANrsMs original Filed neg. 1e. 195o 4sheets-sheet s l In van tor' Ua/ter' T Go//wl' er Dec- 10, 1957 w. T.GoLLwlTzER y 2,815,947

SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING MECI-LANISMS Original Filed Dec. 16. 1950 4Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent i() H SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDINGMECHANSMS Walter 'l'. Gollwitzer, Euclid, hio, assignor toAddressegraph-Multigraph Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation ofDelaware Original application December 16, 1950, Serial No. 201,102, nowPatent No. 2,710,406, dated June 7, 1955. Divided and this applicationMarch 31, 1953, Serial No. 345,903

4 Claims. (Cl. 271-10) This case is a division of my copendingapplication, Serial No. 201,102, filed December 16, 1950, now 'PatentNo. 2,710,406, of lune 7, 1955.

This invention relates to machines for producing business instrumentssuch as checks, insurance premium notie-es, bills and the like.

Where hills, checks and the like are intended to be used in connectionwith a relatively large accounting system, it is quite comm-on toprepare these lbusiness instruments in the form of cards which may takethe general form of the usual Holerith card. EIn machines of thischaracter, it is, of course, essential to have the cards, upon which theprinted and punched information is to be placed, fed into the machine ina reliable and yet simple manner, and an important object of the presentinvention is to simplify the feeding of `such cards into a machine ofthe aforesaid character. More specifically, it is an object of thepresent `invention to afford a card feeding mechanism that is yadaptedfor feeding single cards, double cards or pairs of related cards intothe machine, and to enable this to be accompl-ished in a simple mannersuch that conversion of the machine from one type of operation toanother may vbe easily accomplished.

'Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description and claims and lare illustrated in theaccompanying -drawings which, by way of illustration, show la preferredembodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and whatl now consider to .be the best mode in which -I have contemplatedapplying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodyingthe same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes mayibe made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

lln the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a machine having a card feedAmechanism embodying the features of the invention;

iFig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the right 'hand portion of themachine, the cover plates being removed in some instances;

Fig. 3 is a front view taken partially in vertical section and showingythe portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the transverse card feed and guideway.

The machine in general For the purpose of disclosure the invention islherein illustrated as embodied in a printing machine 100 that isadapted to produce business instruments such as bills, checks and thelike in the form of tabu'lating cards containing printed data, as well`as physically represented data afforded by means of perforations in thecards, and such documents in the form of cards C are produced from iceand under control of printing devices D that 4are passed through themachine. The machine has a main enclosed frame F that is supported ontop of a lower base LB which in the present instance is mounted oncasters 101. The lower base LB has access doors 102 afforded as parts ofthe usual enclosing cover plates, and the upper fname F is similarlyprovided with access doors 103 as well as other removable cover plateswhereby access may be 'had to mechanism enclosed within the frame. Themachine .frame F also affords a table top T that is relatively elongatedand which has an elongated card guideway CG extended along what may betermed the forward edge portion of the table top. The cards C aresupplied in Ia stack to a card magazine CM which in the present instanceis adjustable as to its overall -size so as to provide for handlingcards C of double or different length cards, and these cards C aredischarged edgewise or in .a rear-ward direction one `by one from thebottom of the card magazine CM by means including card pickers CP, andinto the card guideway CG. In the machine herein sh-own the cards arethereafter fed along the card guideway CG 'by means to be hereinafterdescribed and into cooperation, first, with Aa punching unit PU, whichproduces the desired coded perforations in the card C, and such card Cis thereafter advanced in a left-hand direction, as viewed in 'Fig 1,into a printing position beneath -a platen P whereby a printedimpression may be made Vfrom the printing means of `a printing device Donto the card C, and the cardis thereafter released from printingposit-ion and is discharged through a micrometer sensing or Isafetydevice MS into a Icollector hopper K that is .afforded at the left-handend of the machine as viewed in Fig. l.

The drive for the card picker CP, Figs. 2 and 3, includes 'an operatingsleeve 260 mounted loosely on a shaft 26S, Figs. 3 and 4, and a gear 261is loosely mounted on the shaft 265 adjacent the sleeve 260. This gear261 is constantly driven by 4a pinion 262 fixed on a constantly driv-enshaft 222, as described in my aforesaid parent application. The gear 261serves as the driving element of a one-revolution clutch CL-Z, thedriven element of which is rotatively fixed to the sleeve 260, and thisclutch is governed by -a solenoid SOL-2. The sleeve 260 has an eccentric263 fixed thereon, and a connecting link 264 has a bearing surroundingsuch eccentric and lis operatively connected t-o the card p-icker, aswill 'be described, so that whenever the clutch CL-2 is engaged for its-single revolution cycle, the card pickers CP will be driven through acard-feeding cycle.

The card gudewczy CG and related elements The card guideway CG -isdefined along its rear edge by rear rails 480, Figs. 2 and 5, that aresecured to the table top T. In that portion of the card guideway CG thattis opposite the card pickers CP, the forward edge of the card guidewayis defined by a strip 481 as shown in fFig. 5, and the cards areadvanced in a transverse `direction yby constantly Idriven feed rolls231 and 233 over the str-ip 481 and then are dropped into the cardguideway `CG between the `strips 480 and 481.

:In providing such constant drive for the feed rolls 231 and 233, asprocket 223 is fixed on the right hand end of the constantly drivenshaft 222. An endless chain 224 extends about the sprocket 223 andupwardly over and about \a sprocket 225 that is fixed on a shaft 226,and the chain then extends rearwardly beneath an idler sprocket 227 andthen upwardly and over a sprocket 228 from which it extendsdownwardly tothe Isprocket 223.

The shaft 226 serves as a drive for a plurality of transverse feed belts230 that are over a part of the card guide way CG opposite the cardmagazine CM. The feed belts 230 are arranged in relatively deepannularslots or shaft 234. The feed rollers y231 and 233 cooperate tocontinue the infeeding movement of each card C after the card has beenprojected for `a short distance from the magazine by the reciprocatingcard picker CP, and after discharge of thecard from the bight of therollers 231 and 233, the feed belts 230 become effective to complete theiii-feeding movement as will be described. Gear's 236, 237 and 238meshed in series, are fixed respectively o n the shafts 226, 234 and 232to transmit drivefromthe constantly operated shaft 226. To the leftoftheV card magazine CM, the forward edge of the card guideway is definedby `a continuation of the strip 481 that extends to the punching .unitPU, and by a similar strip,481-A that extends from the left hand side ofthe punching unity PU beneath the stop finger rocker 258 andA to a pointjust beyond the pulley 201. In the left hand portion of the cardguideway CG, the forward edge ofksuch card guideway CG is defined by arail that is fixed to the table top T, and on this rail, a mounting bar4,83 is secured. This mounting bar 483 has a plurality of angularlyarranged support brackets 484 arranged thereon and these brackets haveskid rollers 485 rotatably supported thereon so as to tend to displacethe cards laterally. in a forward direction and thereby maintain thesamein engagement with the forward guide rail, while at the same `timeholding such cards downwardly in engagement with the feedbelt 202. Aplurality of guide shoes 486 are also secured to the mounting rail 483so as to maintain the cards C in engagement with the feed belt 202m thespaces intermediate the skid rollers 485. The rear portion of the cardguideway CG in the zone that is opposite the feed belt 202 is defined bya rear rail 488 that is secured to the table top T.

When the card C that is in its initial position in the card guideway CGopposite the card magazine CM is to ber advanced in a left handdirection, as viewed in Fig. 2, theconstantly driven card feed wheel241, which has been in an elevated position, is moved downwardly intoengagement with the card C by the action of its cam 241C and the card isthus advanced into position beneath the cardfeed wheel 242 which is atall times in its lowered position and which at this time has haddownward pressure applied thereto by its cam 242C that is mounted on thecam shaft CS-2, The card is then advanced into the throat of thepunching unit PU and its forward end moves on through this throat andunder the card feed wheel 243 which at this time has downward pressureapplied thereto. The card, however, comes to rest with its forward endbeneath the stop finger element on `the rocker 2,58. The card C remainsin this position and is held against the stop finger by the continuedfeeding action of the feed wheel 243, while the punching operation takesplace, and the stop finger rocker 258 is raised just prior to completionof the withdrawal of the punching elements so that when such withdrawalreleases the card, the card feed wheel 2,43 immediately starts theadvancing movement of the `card into position beneath the card feedwheel 244 which continues such movement of the card and causes theforward edge of the card to move into position over the feed belt 202which continues such advancing movement. With particular reference tothe card feed wheels 241`to 244, it should beobserved that when a. card,is not in position beneath such wheels, these wheels engage free runningidler rollers 489 that are disposed in position beneath slots in thecard guideway.

The card, `rmlgazne and relater;x card feed means The card magazine CMis provided on the table top T forwardly` of the rightthand portionofthe card guideway CG, andfthisl card .magazine lis definedon itsforward edge by av plurality of upstanding stationary columns 525. Inthe present instance, the card magazine CM is constructed so that it maybe 4arrangedto accommodate either a single length card C or a card D ofdouble length and for this purpose provision is made for threadingupstanding retaining pins 526 into threaded openings in the table top atpositions which define either the single length card or the doublelength card. Three such mounting positions are provided, and thesemounting positions are defined by tapped openings 526T, one such openingappearing in Fig. 2, while two pins 526 are shown in this figure. Asthus set up, the card magazine CM is adapted to have cards placedtherein in a stack between the two pins 526, and these cards may beadvanced one by one from the bottom of the stack and laterally orrearwardly toward the card guideway CG through the operation of the cardpicker CP, as will hereinafter be described. It should be observed thaton the rear side of the card magazine, upstanding columns 528 areafforded near the ends thereof and that these columns are supported by arail 528R `that is spaced upwardly from the table top. The rail 528Kcarries a plurality of vertically adjustable members 528A so that thelower ends thereof may be adjusted with respect to upwardly andrearwardly sloping card guide blocks 528G to thus form a clearancethroat or slot 5285 through which the lowermost card may be fed into thebight formed by the upper and lower feed rolls 231 and 233. In thisregard it should be noted that the guide blocks 528G serve to elevatethe advancing card to the `level of the front strip 431, and the bightof the feed rolls 231` and 233 is located at this level. Moreover, thelower feed roll 233 is recessed into the forward edge of the strip 481,as shown in Fig. 5 so that the card C is fed over this strip.

It shouldy be observed that the two feed belts 230 are afforded oppositeeach section of the card magazine, and the rear ends of such belts aresupported on guide pulleys 53) that are supported on shafts 531, suchshafts being held in spaced relation with respect to the shaft 230 byspacer bars 532. The belts 23) are recessed into annular grooves in thefeed rolls 231 so that the feed rolls 231 act as normal feed rolls solong as the card is between such rolls. Rearwardly of the rolls 231,however, the feed belts 230 are effective with a feeding action on thecards so as to complete the in-fceding movement of the cards, and thisaction is attained by downward pressure of the belts toward the upperface of the rail 481. The belts 230 thus complete the rearward movementof the card so that it drops downwardly past the rear edge of the rail481 and into the card guideway CG. As each card C is fed into theguideway, it passes into position under a guard plate 5,35 thatmaintains the advancing rear or leading edge of the card in engagementwith the bottom of the card guideway, thus to assure that the cardpasses into position beneath the feed wheel 241, and two such guardplates 535 are provided in the present instance, and such guird platesare supported by means including support bars536 extended from the rearrail on the card guideway.

Rearwardly of the card guideway CG an elevated work or storage surface537 is provided and this may be used as a supply source for cards C, twostacks of which are shown on this surface as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The .card picker mechanism CP is arranged to afford four reciprocableslides 540 that are mounted on guide bars 541 so as to be movable backand forth in slots 542 formed in the bottom of the card magazine. Itwill be observed that two slides 540 are provided in each section ofthecard magazine CM, and these slides are arranged so as to be infront-to-rear alignment with the respective upstanding columns 525. Thecolumns 525 have clearance recesses 525C in their lower rear portions sothat the. rear end portions of the slides 540 may move into `theseYrecesses when the slides 540 are at their most forward portions. Theseforward ends of the several slides have individual card engaging bars545 fixed thereon, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and

these bars engage a slight distance above the adjacent surface of theslides 540 so that when the slides 540 are moved in a rear or cardadvancing direction, the bars 545 will engage the forward edge of thelowermost card and will advance the same forwardly and into engagementwith the card feed belts 230. In this respect it should be observed thatthe reciprocating stroke of the slides 540 is relatively short and isterminated soon after a card C has been engaged by the feed rolls 531and 533.

The reciprocating movements are imparted to the slides 540 by meansassociated with the operating link 264. Thus, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4,the upper forward end of the link 264 is pivotally 4connected to the endof an upwardly and rearwardly extending arm 550 that is xed on a rockshaft 551. This rock shaft is supported in bearings 552 that areAsuspended from the lower face of the card magazine. The rock shaft 551has a plurality of operating arms 553 fixed thereto and extendedupwardly and forwardly into positions beneath the respective slides 540,and a roller 556 on the upper end of each arm 555 is arranged to ride ina vertical slot in a connecting bracket 557 secured to the lower face ofthe related slide 540. Thus, in a rotation of the sleeve 260, the link264 is moved downwardly and is then returned in an upward direction tothe position shown in Fig. 4 and in this reciprocation, the rock shaft551 is operated through a rocking movement in which the slides 540 arefirst moved in a rearward direction through a card picking or ejectingstroke and are then returned to their retracted positions, as shown inFig. 3.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the presentinvention affords an improved card feed mechanism for feeding cards intoa printing or punching machine or the like, and that such card feed asafforded under the present invention is simple in character and reliablein operation. It will also be evident that this card feed, as affordedby the present invention, enables either single or double cards to befed into the machine, and the arrangement of the card feed mechanism issuch that it may be readily converted from one type of operation toanother.

Thus, I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation andmodification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes andalterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a printing machine having a sheet guideway along the plane ofwhich sheets may be fed from an infeed position to successive operatingpositions along said guideway, a sheet magazine located at one side ofsaid sheet guideway at said in-feed position, upstanding side railsextending above the plane of and defining the sides of said sheetguideway along the length thereof, sheet feed means in the form ofengaged feed rollers having a bight above the plane of said guideway atsaid in-feed position between said magazine and the adjacent one of saidside rails for feeding the sheets one at a time over said one of saidside rails from said sheet magazine, means to advance sheets one by oneinto the bight afforded by said feed rollers, and means located in partover said one rail and in part over the plane of said guideway forapplying continued feeding forces to the sheets at points located oversaid guideway to thereby continue the in-feeding movment of the sheetsinto said sheet guideway at said in-feed position, and said last namedmeans being adapted to press said sheets downwardly into said guidewayduring such continuing infeeding movement thereof.

2. In a printing machine having a sheet guideway along the plane ofwhich sheets may -be fed from an infeed position to successive operatingpositions along said guideway, a sheet magazine located at one side ofsaid sheet guideway at said in-feed position, a first side railextending above the plane of and defining the side of said sheetguideway adjacent said magazine, a second upstanding side rail definingthe other side of said guideway, sheet feed means at said in-feedposition comprising a card picker located outside of one of said siderails and constantly driven feed rolls located over said first side railaffording a bight for receiving the sheets from said card picker and forfeeding the sheets one at a time over said first side rail from saidsheet magazine and into said sheet guideway at said in-feed position,and a constantly driven belt operating between said feed rolls and saidguideway for applying downward pressure to the sheets as the sheets emitfrom the feed rollers.

3. In a printing machine having a sheet guideway along the plane ofwhich sheets may be fed from an in-feed position to successive operatingpositions along said guideway, a sheet magazine located at one side ofsaid sheet guideway at said in-feed position, upstanding side railsextending above the plane of and defining the sides of said sheetguideway along the length thereof, a sheet picker associated with saidmagazine for feeding sheets one by one toward and over the adjacent oneof said side rails, constantly driven feed rolls affording a bight anddisposed in part over said one of said side rails and in part beneathsaid one of said side rails to receive sheets from said picker andcontinue the in-feed movement of such sheets, and feed belts driven bycertain of said feed rolls and located in part over said one rail and inpart over said guideway for applying downward pressure to and continuingthe in-feeding movement of the sheets into said sheet guideway at saidin-feed position.

In a printing machine having a sheet guideway along the plane of whichsheets may be fed from an infeed position to successive operatingpositions along said guideway, a sheet magazine located at one side ofsaid sheet guideway at said in-feed position, upstanding side railsextended above the plane of and defining the sides of said sheetguideway along the length thereof, a sheet picker associated with saidmagazine for feeding sheets one by one toward and over the adjacent oneof said side rails, constantly driven feed rolls having a bight abovelthe plane of said guideway and disposed in part over said one of saidside rails and in part beneath said one of said side rails to receivesheets from said picker and continue the in-feed movement of suchsheets, feed belts driven by certain of said feed rolls and located inpart over said one rail and in part over said guideway for applyingdownward pressure to and continuing the in-feeding movement of thesheets into said sheet guideway at said in-feed position, a feed wheellocated over said guideway at said in-feed position, and control meansfor said feed wheel operable to raise said feed wheel when a sheet isbeing advanced into said guideway by said feed belts, and to then lowersaid feed wheel to feed such sheet out of said in-feed position andalong said guideway.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,295,123 Cheshire Feb. 25, 1919 1,980,725 Hartley Nov. 13, 19342,131,967 Peropat Oct. 4, 1938 2,132,415 Gollwitzer Oct. 1l, 19382,262,303 Stande Nov. 11, 1941 2,265,007 Ryan Dec. 2, 1941 2,479,060Davidson Aug. 16, 1949 2,540,762 Smith Feb. 6, 1951 2,566,927 CarrollSept. 4, 1951

